The Great Decisions speaker series has begun, and four more lectures are scheduled through mid-February.

The series is a national program of the Foreign Policy Association, and UNC Charlotte is the state coordinator. Free lectures each Tuesday evening, mostly given by UNCC faculty, address topics surrounding current foreign policy issues.

Justin Conrad, an assistant professor in political science and public administration, gave last week’s lecture on threat assessment. He spoke about how bargaining theory creates a common range where two groups can compromise, but that several other factors typically keep problem-solving from being that simple.

Through the lens of bargaining theory, Conrad said he thinks Iran, Syria, China and the U.S. fiscal debt are the United States’ largest security threats.

“It was interesting because he integrated so many issues,” said Gerry Anderson, who has been coming with his wife, Margaret, to the Great Decisions lectures for the past 20 years.

The Andersons have been coming back for so many years because they like the interactive element of the lectures, they said.

“I like the personal aspect of it,” Anderson said. “You can hear presentations on TV, but it’s not like being able to participate with other people present.”